The present invention relates generally to devices for exchange of materials, and in particular to a materials contact compartment of the kind including a turbulent or fluidized bed or layer.
It is well known that, in order to induce chemical reactions or absorption bonding between a solid substance and a gas containing noxious components, the solid substance be placed in the fluidized state by means of the gas containing noxious components. By intermixing the solid substance and the gas in a turbulent manner, the former combines or forms absorptive bonds (absorption compounds) with the noxious gas components.
In practice, however, it was discovered that such turbulent intermixing of a solid substance acting as a turbulence material and a gas acting as a turbulence agent or carrier, does not always form a homogeneous fluidized or turbulent bed. A conventional fluidized bed may have vertical passages, rising gas bubbles, or gas layers devoided of turbulence material. Such effects are highly undesirable. It results, for example, in a substantial portion of the noxious gas components not combining or chemically reacting with the solid substance, and the latter not being utilized as a turbulence material or only partially or inadequately so. It is also apparent that, since the solid substance particles vary considerably in grain size, it is primarily and practically only the smaller particles (having a relatively large surface as compared to their weight) which react or combine with the noxious gas components.
It is an object of the invention to minimize or prevent gas passages, gas bubbles or gas layers, from being formed without admixture of turbulence material in a fluidized or turbulent layer of an upright fluid bed compartment, and to utilize the turbulence material to the optimum degree notwithstanding different particle sizes.